Eagle-eyed Jack thought he was warming up on Viagraman, 7a but it’s Mucho Tronco, Poca Madera, 7c next to it, and to be honest, I’ve made the same mistake as these routes here in El Pati don’t go straight up, some go up and to the right. So there goes our plan to work El Prada Del Rey, 7b+.

Tronco though is a beautiful route. The fun starts at the 4th and doesn’t relent till the 6th bolt. There appears to be a left, middle and right way up it, but it needs to be worked a little. After trying it, I try the new 7a+, El Corazón De La Muerte left of the 6b+, and it’s nice. The sun’s on the rock now and it’s hot, so we shelve Tronco for today and head for shade in Siuranella Est.

I choose to do the 40mtr epic Gravetat Marciana, 6c and it looks nice, the same aspect as, though with none of the chalk of Lo Deje To Blanco, 7a. Climbing starts on rusty bullet-holes. The brown pockets certainly provide an accurate name – very ‘red planet’. After clipping the high 1st bolt, I can’t relax into the climb though. The combination of it being run-out (14 bolts, 40mtrs), it going up diagonally on a slight ramp, so a fall being potentially scrapey, the resulting rope-drag, the unreliable and fragile rock… I didn’t enjoy this at all, and doubt I’ll ever repeat it. Thomas & Ho agree – it looks good but isn’t.